Communicating back home

[cruiseandstamp]

We are leaving our 4 kids home with a babysitter next week when we go on the Grand. We need an inexpensive way to contact them, if necessary,while we are in port. What kind of prepaid phone card would work best, and what phones do we use? Any help would be great.

 

Also, our 10 year old's birthday is one day we are gone. What are the chances of getting into the wedding chapel at a set time that day to hold up signs that he will be able to see on the webcams?

[DanJ]

Whatever you do, don't use the credit card pay phones. My wife mistakenly thought that when it said "50 cents per minute" on the side of the phone booth, that this included direct dialed using a credit card. Yeah, right. Closer to 50 cents per second LOL.

[chris2597]

You can use the internet cafe, if your kiddos will have email access.....The internet cafe if .35 a minute....If you decide to use it...be sure to set up a hotmail, yahoo, there are a couple others before leaving home....that you can use to log onto to, write mail and receive mail from....

 

Another option is to buy a calling card once you are in ports and use the pay phones....The way I understand it is....the calling cards you buy in the US wont work in Mexico....The cards that say they are international and have Mexico listed are for calling out of the US to Mexico....A friend took The Grand last year and said that they purchased a card in port (sold everywhere) and they worked great....

 

We are also going to be on The Grand on the 25th. Our dd17 is staying with her godparents. I have to be able to check in at least a few times during the week... ....We had our cell service (cingular) add International calling to our plan for the week we are gone....We can use the phone in Mexico and I think dh said it is .59 a min....Also, text messaging is .50 to send, .10 to receive a message...

 

Have you checked in on The Roll Call for Princess 2/25 cruise....A Meet and Greet is planned....Princess is providing the location, dry snacks and a cash bar. If interested, go to the Roll Call and post your name and how many will attend.

 

See you next weekend.

[Sunmail]

We've stood in front of the outside web cam and waved to family at a designated time. They took a print screen so that we would have it.

 

That was on the Grand and it was focused on part of the very top deck as it looked out. I bet the wedding cam thing would work. It's worth a try.

[chris2597]

We have also thought about standing in the wedding chapel and having dd log onto to the Princess website to see us.....We are initially going to try it once we are on the ship in Galveston and still have cell phone access.....I think that would be fun.

 

Is the wedding chapel open? Can you just walk in?

[sunprincess]

I have always used the port phones & calling cards. As stated many of the cards we can purchase here will not work in certain places.

It is very expensive to call using your credit card or AT&T card or from the ship.

Internet is a great option too. In the Internet Cafe onboard they do have webcams you can connect.

The wedding chapel is usually open during the day to go in.

 

Good Luck & Enjoy your cruise.

[DanJ]

The wedding chapel could be open or closed depending on what they are doing in there. It was locked on the day we boarded Sapphire because they were setting up for a wedding. They also did those Scholarship at Sea programs in there.

[lmmn]

We are leaving our 4 kids home with a babysitter next week when we go on the Grand. We need an inexpensive way to contact them, if necessary,while we are in port. What kind of prepaid phone card would work best, and what phones do we use? Any help would be great.

 

Also, our 10 year old's birthday is one day we are gone. What are the chances of getting into the wedding chapel at a set time that day to hold up signs that he will be able to see on the webcams?

The internet will cost 75 cents a minute onboard, but if you type fast and use it more for emergencies and answering questions about issues at home, it's convenient and reasonable for that. I am more interested in hearing about what's going on at home, so I mostly use the email to read...which does not take long. I write back very short quick emails. I'm sure there's a cheaper way, but this is super convenient...I always set up a hotmail account before I leave....test it, and add names and addresses of those I will need to contact.

 

Sorry, I don't know anything about wedding chapel cam.

[mountainhouse]

Seems like AT&T's USAdirect might be an option:

https://www.usa.att.com/traveler/services/usadirect_signup.jsp

[chris2597]

The internet will cost 75 cents a minute onboard, but if you type fast and use it more for emergencies and answering questions about issues at home, it's convenient and reasonable for that.

 

I believe Internet Cafe usage or wireless usage on PCL is .35 cents a minute.